Creating a Healthy Home

I imagine many Mothering families can relate to The Healthy Home author Dave Wentz when he says that having a child made healthy living more of a priority for his family than before. That was how the book began. Wentz, with his father biologist Dr. Myron Wentz, “set out to prove that you don’t have to be a scientist–or even a cave-dwelling technophobe–to protect your family from the toxic influences found in modern society” in The Healthy Home.

The Wentz’s focus is on health, not necessarily “green living” (though the two certainly overlap significantly), and they cover clothing, antibiotics, nutrition, electronic gadgets, and more. Each chapter covers a room in the room and the potential dangers found within. This occasionally tends toward what feel like tangents, such as vaccines coming up in the chapter about the bathroom. Overall, though, the book is conversational and personal. There are quizzes, sidebars, and “simple solutions” boxes to make for easy browsing. Science-minded readers are cautioned that the tone of the book is respectful to science but focused on “listen[ing] to your instincts” when it comes to making healthy choices. Dave Wentz says in the introduction, “Science can’t go fast enough. We must rely on personal logic and intuition until science gets there.”

The message is empowering, though not always as in-depth as one may want. Those who are new to natural living or who want to reinforce why they chose this lifestyle to begin with would do well to choose this book. Others may want to head straight to a book that is more focused on one particular aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Your next step may be Practically Green by Micaela Preston, which is a fabulous resource guide for making your family’s home greener and healthier one step at a time.

What books inspired you to create a healthier or more eco-friendly home for your family? What books do you recommend to inspire others?